The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Spathiphyllum hybrid plant, botanically known as Spathiphyllum, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name `Kalypso`.
The new cultivar is a product of a planned and controlled breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Merelbeke-Melsen, Belgium. The objective of the breeding program is to create early-flowering spathiphyllum cultivars with large rounded leaves. The new cultivar originated from a deliberate cross by the Inventor in 1997 of the Spathiphyllum cultivar `Stephanie`, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,943, as the female or seed parent and the Spathiphyllum cultivar `Daniel`, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,655, as the male or pollen parent. The cultivar `Kalypso` was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Merelbeke-Melsen, Belgium.
Compared to plants of the female parent, the culitvar `Stephanie`, plants of the new Spathiphyllum are smaller, have more rounded leaves and are more tolerant to high temperatures. Compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar `Daniel`, plants of the new Spathiphyllum are larger, faster growing, have broader leaves and larger spathes.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by tissue culture in a laboratory in Belgium has shown that the unique features of this new Spathiphyllum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.